It turns out, they were the main characters.

Everyone has already started refining pills!

Mu Zhian quickly gathered his thoughts, held his breath, and activated the Earth-grade cauldron in front of him.

At the same time, he used his spiritual energy to control the few common low-grade medicinal herbs in front of him, and put them into the cauldron one by one for smelting.

"Judging from this, he really intends to refine a second-grade pill..."

Someone in the audience who witnessed this couldn't help but murmur.

They had initially held a sliver of hope for Mu Zhian, believing that there must be a reason behind the medicinal herbs he had prepared, given that this young cultivator had passed several tests previously.

But now it seems he really intends to refine a second-grade pill to participate in this alchemy competition...

Even Luo Tan, who was in the attic, couldn't help but frown as she watched this scene.

If Mu Zhi'an were to refine a third or fourth-grade pill, she could find an excuse, such as praising Mu Zhi'an's 'excellent talent in alchemy,' and then use this as an excuse to invite him to Yuzhou, or even take him as a disciple so that he could stay by her side.

But Mu Zhi'an was refining a second-grade elixir...

Even novice alchemists can refine second-grade pills. If she were to praise Mu Zhian's exceptional talent in alchemy, it would seem somewhat insincere, and people would see that she was simply interested in Mu Zhian.

Time passed silently, and after nearly an hour, the sky was covered with dark clouds and a cold wind was howling.

The rich aroma of medicinal herbs permeated almost the entire main peak of Canghai Peak, while the spiritual energy in front of the alchemy platform was extremely thin.

The alchemists were busy gathering spiritual energy from the world and then pouring it into their cauldrons to help condense the pills.

At that moment, a dense network of cracks suddenly appeared on one of the cauldrons on the platform. The cultivator's gaze narrowed slightly, and before he could react, there was a loud 'bang' as the cauldron shattered completely.

As the sound subsided, a series of sounds of shattering cauldrons soon followed.

Amidst the sounds of shattering, in one place, the elixir was gradually condensing, emitting a rich medicinal fragrance.

Nigati glanced casually at the shattered cauldrons around him, a faint smile appearing on his face.

Just as initially suspected, the only real threats are the Holy Maiden of the Forbidden Zone and Tang Sufei, the Holy Maiden of the World Sea.

He raised his hand and waved it, and the spiritual energy on the alchemy platform gathered in front of him. After being purified, the spiritual energy was injected into the cauldron.

The best spiritual energy for alchemy is purified spiritual energy temporarily drawn from the world.

Just as Nigati was about to turn his attention back to alchemy, he suddenly noticed out of the corner of his eye an extremely strong medicinal fragrance permeating the alchemy table.

Nigati paused for a moment, then instinctively turned his head to look.

It was Mu Zhian; the pills in his cauldron seemed to be almost ready.

"Wasn't he refining a second-grade pill...?"

Nigati looked over in that direction, and then couldn't help but pause in surprise.

Then, he stared intently at the Lesser Rejuvenating Pill inside Mu Zhian's cauldron.

Something's not right...

Ordinary second-grade pills at most emit a faint white light, but the second-grade pill in Mu Zhian's cauldron at this moment faintly emits a colorful glow.

Although it wasn't conspicuous, all alchemists knew what it meant.

After all, a pill that can emit colorful light must be at least a sixth-grade pill.

Is this really a Lesser Rejuvenation Pill...?

Inside the pavilion, Luo Tan also looked at the black-robed nobleman on the alchemy table with a hint of surprise in her eyes.

This Lesser Rejuvenating Pill doesn't seem to be a second-grade pill at all...

She glanced casually at Mu Zhian's focused expression, then lowered her spiritual sense to the alchemy platform, scanning Mu Zhian's cauldron.

The cauldron didn't seem to have anything special about it; it seems the problem lies with his prescription...?

Luo Tan's eyes showed increasing interest, and he scanned the surface of the Lesser Rejuvenation Pill with his spiritual sense.

Almost instantly, her body trembled slightly, and her bright, beautiful eyes slowly lifted, staring intently at Mu Zhian.

Heavenly spiritual energy...

Boom!

A deafening roar suddenly echoed through the sky.

Luo Tan snapped out of his daze and looked at the cauldron that Nigati had crafted.

Originally, the pills he was refining should have been grade six, but at this moment, she discovered that the pills in Nigati's cauldron were showing signs of advancing to the next grade.

"He just added Hundred Refined Flowers!"

The cultivators in front of the alchemy platform naturally noticed this scene as well, and soon someone spoke up indignantly to reveal the truth.

Upon hearing this, the faces of countless cultivators on the alchemy platform turned grim, and some even showed signs of dissatisfaction.

"If you really want to talk about medicinal herbs, the Hundred Refined Flower doesn't even belong to the category of medicinal materials. It should be called a pill. Nigati's statement is tantamount to cheating!"

On the alchemy platform, many people were quite dissatisfied, their brows furrowed in disapproval.

They might have had a chance to win, but once the Hundred Refined Flower was added to the pill, giving it a richer spiritual energy, the Foundation Strengthening Pill was upgraded from a sixth-grade pill to a seventh-grade pill.

As a result, even the sixth-grade pills refined by Ye Lingxuan are much inferior.

However, despite their dissatisfaction, even though Nigati had exploited a loophole in the rules, there was nothing that could be said about him at the moment.

Nigati smiled faintly, raised his hand in a gesture of respect, and said, "The Hundred Refined Flower can be considered a pill, but it can also be considered a medicinal herb. If I had to say, I would say that everyone's preparations were not thorough enough, so I can't blame anyone else."

As he finished speaking, he glanced again at the sixth-grade pill that seemed to be about to be produced in Ye Lingxuan's cauldron, and his smile deepened.

The winner of the alchemy competition will receive an eighth-grade pill.

This eighth-grade pill is equivalent to an Emperor-level medicinal herb, and it's an Emperor-level medicinal herb that doesn't require refining by the user.

If used properly, it can even help him comprehend a wisp of the Dao of Heaven and Earth, allowing him to break through to the next level.

Therefore, sacrificing even a single Hundred-Refined Flower would be worthwhile.

Thinking of this, Nigati glanced again at the faintly colored light emanating from Mu Zhian's cauldron, a hint of mockery flashing in his eyes.

Even if Mu Zhi'an had something up his sleeve, the pills in his furnace right now are at most only at the level of sixth-grade pills, while the Foundation Strengthening Pill in his own furnace will be able to be upgraded to a seventh-grade pill once the Hundred Refinement Flower is completely melted!

"It seems that Young Master Mu is quite well prepared; I underestimated him before," Nigati said with a faint smile, but his tone carried a hint of sarcasm.

Ye Lingxuan glanced at it casually, then frowned slightly.

Although she didn't have much of a competitive spirit, Nigati's addition of the Hundred Refined Flowers was clearly exploiting loopholes in the rules.

If it weren't for the Hundred Refined Flower, Nigati's pill might not even surpass the special pill refined by Brother Mu.

Mu Zhian's expression was also somewhat subtle as he looked at the Foundation Strengthening Pill in Nigati's cauldron with surprise.

Even he never imagined that pills could be forcibly upgraded in grade through medicinal herbs.

A seventh-grade pill—this was completely impossible for the alchemists present.

After all, a seventh-grade pill requires at least the Void Returning Realm to refine.

Nigati noticed Mu Zhian's gaze from a distance. During a break, he turned his head to look at Mu Zhian and said with a smile, "It seems that Young Master Mu's previous efforts to prepare have been in vain."

Anyone with eyes could see the special nature of Mu Zhian's pill, and Nigati was no exception.

But so what?

Even if Mu Zhian refined a mutated special pill instead of a second-grade pill, it would at most be a sixth-grade pill.

It's a whole grade lower than a seventh-grade Foundation Strengthening Pill!

Mu Zhian looked at the pills in Nigati's cauldron with amusement and said with a smile, "A Hundred Refinement Flower can indeed add a bit of quality to the pills you refine."

Nigati sneered and said calmly, "Young Master Mu, don't accuse me of cheating. If anyone is to blame, it's yourselves for not being well prepared."

"Of course not, after all, the Hundred Refined Flower is also a medicinal herb," ​​Mu Zhian said with a smile.

Even Nigati was taken aback by these words.

He thought Mu Zhian would be annoyed by this, but he didn't expect the other party to speak up for him.

The discontented voices of the cultivators in front of the alchemy platform seemed to have subsided somewhat.

Logically, as a fellow 'victim,' Mu Zhian should be dissatisfied with Nigati's use of special medicinal materials, but instead, he's speaking up for Nigati...?

At this moment, all the cultivators hesitated for a moment.

Ye Lingxuan also subconsciously looked at Mu Zhian, her beautiful purple eyes filled with a hint of doubt.

In the eerie silence, Mu Zhian slowly put away the cauldron, then put the special pill into a box before leisurely walking towards Ye Lingxuan.

"Brother Mu...?" Ye Lingxuan looked at Mu Zhian who had walked up to her and called out softly.

Noticing the tenderness in his gaze, Ye Lingxuan's eyes flashed with a rare hint of panic, and she whispered, "What...what are you doing?"

Mu Zhian looked down at the girl in the purple dress in front of him and said softly, "You refused to give in before, so it's not unreasonable for me to ask for some interest now, is it?"

Ye Lingxuan paused slightly, glanced subconsciously at the audience below the stage, and said softly, "Let's wait until the alchemy competition is over..."

Mu Zhian chuckled lightly: "It will be too late once the alchemy competition is over."

Nigati frowned slightly and said coldly, "Young Master Mu, isn't it a bit inappropriate for you to be intimate with a girl in this kind of setting?"

"Do I need to ask for the consent of the Holy Son of the Southern Wilderness to get close to whomever I want?" Mu Zhi'an laughed loudly.

Although he was smiling, Mu Zhian couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine when he noticed several cold, unsettling gazes directed at him.

It's obvious that Senior Sister Ruoxi and the others would be there for such a big event as the alchemy competition...

But Mu Zhian maintained her usual elegance and calm smile.

Then, under the stunned gazes of everyone, he lowered his head slightly and gently kissed Ye Lingxuan's rosy lips.

Ye Lingxuan's eyes slowly widened as she stared at Mu Zhian in surprise.

But soon, she felt a very special spiritual energy quietly flowing into her body.

The warm spiritual energy gradually cleared her mind, as if she understood something. Her eyes flickered slightly, and she wrapped her arms tightly around Mu Zhi'an's neck, actively responding to his enthusiasm.

After a short while, their lips parted.

Mu Zhian stretched and yawned, then bowed to the pavilion not far away: "I am truly sorry that I have disturbed the alchemy competition. I feel ashamed and have therefore decided to withdraw from the competition. I hope that Senior Medicine Emperor will forgive me."

After saying that, he jumped off the alchemy platform without any hesitation.

What on earth is Mu Zhian up to...?